Process and apparatus for grinding glass



Dec. 6, 1932. T. H. SWARTZLANDER 1,890,343-

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR GRINDING GLASS Filed Feb. 14. 1931 NVENTOR moms III Patented Dec. 6, 1932 I a ertin -Mus im, be As'rmwms,-riumsny2rma s szeiroa T' rrm s Boner; Pi -yin" GL'As's-coMrANY, A con onmmn or ssmsrrvsma V rno'cnss Ann AHA-Rhineston-Gmunnve Grass a i Appli'ati on illed februai'yl4, iie. i V

The invention relates to glass grinding and particularlyto that part ofthe system which has to do withthe rough grinding; Inapparatus of thiskind, the grinding sand is sup plied to a grading conevvhich distributes it to the various grinding machines. The used abrasive and Water drains into areturn trough Which carries back toa s pm sump; From this point the mixture is pumped back into the grading cone and any sand coarse enough for rough grinding is again circulated to the rough grinders and reused. The finer grades of sand in the cone are carried to other grinding machines renew ng the rough I grinders. New sand is added to the system from time to time in order totake the place of the coarse material which is reduced to the finer rades in the rough grinding operation. The a rasive isthus' used over and over, thus reducing the-quahtity of sand required to. a

minimum. It is diflicult to exclude from the 7 new sand all material Which is too coarse for use, such as small pebbles (called shot) and the like, and once introduced in the circulation system, they continueto circulate repeat;

edly past the rinders and cause damage scratching; ther 1 objectionable material may also get into the system and be recites, lated, such as chips of glass, lumps of plaster, small pieces of iron, andfthe like, and inthe course of time a considerable body of the objectionable material accumulatesin itheisysf tern. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple, convenient auxiliary separating means through which the circ'uilating material may be passed at suitable tervals in order to clear the'system of oversize particles of materialof all kinds. One embodiment of the invention is shown in the a'c'cempanying drawing, wherein; y s I j The figure is a part-'al side elevation and partial vertical seetion showing the applic aj, tion of the apparatus tothe rough'grinding' end-of a straight ayvaygriniding System11 t The grinding systemlto Which the inverii tion is applied maybeof any desired type, the portion ofthe'system shown comprising a SE;- r'ie's'iof tables 1, above which areplaeed aserie'slof drivengrihding' runners 2, 3,4, etc},

such runners comprising the grinding of the Th g y elca'rs or tables l are mounted upon a track?) and carried slealybenlea'ththe, grinding runners any suitfl driving mechanism. A; grading cone 6v supplies theiabfra'siveand water fo the mega grindingoperation, apipe 7 leading frointhe I lower portion ofthe'y cone and discharging into the distributing bOX I 8 from vvhich the. pipes 9, 9, 9, etc. lead to the various runners. The drainage from the: runners eomprises a mi' Xture of vvater and'usedabra} si e ;and drains into the trough and is conducted throughthe pipe 10 to another, trough 11 leading tothe sump 12. A eentrifugal pump -13 supplies the mixture of sand and done 6' through the pipe 14. This provides an "Water inthe sump 12 to'the lower end of upward flovv of liquid through the grading I cone, thus grading the. material with the orming a continuous cycle.

Leasedb ew; the level or; the iiiiiifig" system is a; separator in the form of a ver-, 'ieel ank 5 the, ow r Po o i hic Wat r laY}b PP ?dlind ip fse ef r m the main 16. This is pre ferably accomplished by means oi: a plurality of small pipe's l 'i lead nef m the min fQl Q 1 w i h i nected to, the ma1n 1 6, into the bottom of the k- Q T s i l: as eun it uppe 'pp l e atrough18a for receiving the overflovvfrom intimate 1th leads or" leading; into the; suihpQlQl I Located, inter;

is open.- The box provided withla transverse bafile, and with a discharge pipe 26" leading; through the bottom ofthe box into" the tank 15, A :valve 27 operated fromthe, shaft28 serves to control the 'flowfrom the chips of glass and the like; Whenitis d sired to cleanse thersysteniof'this matrial,

the valve 29"in the pipe 10 is closed and the valve 23 in the pipe2 l isjopened'so that the return circulation fronrthe trough 9 assesdown into the separating apparatus. t this time the valve 30in the main' l6 is open'so that a grading flow of wateri's'providedup r wardthroughthe tank 15. {This flow is so J regulatedthatthe finer material suitable for ;use in the grading system is washedup over the top ofthe tankand returns to thetrough 11 through the trough l8 *and'pipe 19. The material which is tooc'oarse for use accumue a lates the bottom of' the: tank and may be withdrawncontinuously or from time to time s through the pipe 20 which is provided with 'a I bfvalvetl. Ifidesired, the separator might'be kept continuously yin the circulation, but

" preferably it is operated only at intervals of I I and water is cut off from-the separator; 7

a dayorso for a shorttime. ,At other times,

, the valve 23 vis closed and the valve 29 is opened; so thatthe circulation of abrasive Theforegoing arrangement provides for a iby-pass oi the sand and water through the v separator on the; return side ofthegrinding' apparatus. Under these condition s,;theseparator can be used without interference with the grinding 'op-eration.; Injso'me cases, it is desirable to use {the separator when the v grinders: are not fopera ting-f-and provision is made for accomplishing this providing 'a by-pas's through thesep'ara'tor onfthe' inlet' side of the" grinders. The"appara'tus for doing this comprises a 100x32 and a pipe 33 leading froinsuch box down into the separator, box 22 Theloweren d 34 of the pipe 7 is of'flexiblematerial' and when it [is desired to: use the separator, the pipe 34 is switched to the dotted line position'shown in the'grind'ers arenot'in use.

Fig. I in which it discharges into the box32; The separator can thus be used to clean out the coarse material from the system when In carrying out I "thislatter operatiom the pump 13 may be ioperatedatan'increased speed so that all-the coarseimaterial which COIleCtSiIIithelower :endoflthe conefi' will be carried up' ithrough the pipe 7 due tothe high-ivelocity produced "in this pipef Inthis' mann er all ofthecoarse Y E m eri in'ethewn or in oth p rt iio 7 the system can be withdrawn ina short period Ias 'heretoforeidescribed. At such timefa' upper edgeof'the cone 5linto the trough3 5 of time and Semi through e Parator Pre V liminary to the operation of the grinding apparatus. It will beunderstood that the in- V vention is notlimited to the use of the'particula'r separator. shown, r as any separator suitable for the purpose may-"be employed.

"Also thatthe invention is not limited to the use of a separator with the particular grind- "ing apparatus shown and described, In its broad form; the; invention" com rehends the ,1 use of any'separa tor with any type ofcgrin'ding system having a: continuous circulation i where the separator is arranged where it can will in order to remove oversize and foreignr'nateri'al which tend to injuretheglass.

be switchedin and out} of the circulation at so In the normal, operation' of' the,apparatu s,' mud'and other lightmaterial'too' fine {for use 1 is conducted from 'the' overflow trough 35' f r sewer 2l by means of the This pipe 7 v is providedwith a valve '37qand a'connection' around the top of the grading :coneto the 38 leading intothe sump 12' also provided with avalve 39. "A connection 40 provided with avaive 43 leads from the pipel'tothe' box 22 and Valves 4 l' and 4-2 are provided in This provides still another alternative method of operation, and prevents a loss'ofsand f when the pump 13 .is, run at ahigher speed thani' n'ojrmal in order to lift the coarse mafi f in'the" bottom ofthe conewhen the? V end of the pipe 34:" discharges into'the box 8 quantity of usable' sand discharges over the thefpipe '14 above'and below theflpipe 40fv and would be lost into the sewer unless provision .were made tofsa' veit. This is accomf plished'bycl'osingthe valve 37 and opening 7 theyalve 39 so that the overflow from "the cone flows through the pipes 36 and-38 tot-he its sump 12. It is also possible to withdraw the Coritelitsof'the cone by gravity to the sep;

aratorjbox 22, when the'pumplf is not run .nin'g, by closing the valve 42 and opening the. Zvalv'e 43. The operation of the separator" 7 during this gravity withdrawal eliminates the oversize material as heretofore described,

while the usable grades of sand are returned to the sump'l2. Under normal v Operating conditlons I a. 7

, the valve'g is closed.

" 1 What I claim is:

1. The'cornbination] with. grindin apparatus,"o f a grading system therefor om prising a grading cone, means for continuously circulating a mixture of abrasive. and

water in a circuit from thefcone to the grind ing means 'andthen back to the cone, :1 septhe "circulating mixture, connections j where:

'arating tank'adj'acentthehline 'oftravelfoi i. Q

by said tankrn'ay be switched at willinto and p out of the line offltraveliof 'thev circulating mixture rof a'brasive and water solth t said m x "passe ft t l a s supply? f .ingan 'upward flow ofwat'er through" the.

separating tank for separating from the abrasive suitable for'usejoversizje material unsuitable 'for use, and an outlet leading from the lower portion of the tank for permitting the discharge to waste from the tank 1 of some of the water therein together with said oversize material I 2. The combination with grinding apparatus, of a grading system"thereforecomprising a grading cone, means for continuously circulating a mixture of abrasive and water in a circuit from the cone to the grinding means and then back to the cone, a separating tank adjacent the line of travel of the circulating mixture, connections whereby the return circulation from the grinding apparatus to the cone may be switched at will tus, of a grading system therefor comprising through said tank'so that said mixture passes therethrough, means supply ng an upward flow of'water through theseparating tank for separating from the abrasive suitablefor use oversize material unsuitable for use,-and.

an outlet leading from the lower portion of the tank for permitting the discharge to waste from the tank of some of the water therein together with said'oversizematerial.

3. The combination with grinding apparatus,- of a grading systemtherefor comprising a grading cone, meansfor continuously circulating a'mixture of abrasive and waterlin a circuit from thecon'e to the grinding means and then back to the cone,fla separating tank adjacent the linefof travel of the circulating mixture, connections whereby the circulation of the mixture may be diverted at will from the grinding apparatus and sent through said tank, means supplying an upwardflow ofwater through the separating tank for separating from the abrasive suitable for use oversize material unsuitable for use, and an outlet leading from the lower portion of the tank for permitting the discharge to waste from the tank of some of the watertherein together with said oversize ma Y terial.

' 4. The combination withgrinding apparaaj grading cone, means'for continuously circulat ng a mixture of abrasive and water in a circuit from the cone to the grinding means and then back to the cone, a separating tank adjacent the line of travel ofthe circulating mixture, connections whereby the circulation;

of the mixture to the grinding apparatus may be by-passed at will through said tank and whereby the return circulation from the grinding apparatus may be directed through 7 said tank, means supplying an upward flow of water through the separating'tank for separating from the abrasive suitable for use oversize material unsuitable foruse, and an 'cul ating the mixturetothe grinding appar'a tus, collecting the Miniature draining froni zthe apparatus and returnin'git to said body, of liquid in a-continuous cycle-and at inter j I vals by-passing the circulating mixture which I THOMAS SWA-RTZLAJNDEBA T 5. process for usef 'in connection with: glass grindingapparatus requiring finely an upward flow of water therethrough, cirliquidin a continuous cycle,

oversize and foreign materialunsuitable-as;

abrasive and liable to injurethe glass. Y

6; A process for use '1 connection with glass grinding apparatus. requiring 3 finely fdivided abrasive and wat'enwhichconsists in c grading the material in a body of watenby' an upward flow of water therethrough, cir- "culating the mixture to the grinding appa'ra- I tus, collecting the mixture drainingfrom the apparatus and returning itto saidlbody of 11 fl liquid ina continuous cycle, and at intervals. V

by-passing the circulatingmiXture around the grindingapparatus so as to send themix; fa ture 'through a separator instead of toithe grinding apparatus, and in such separator. re-

an upward flow of water therethrough, cir

drains frointhe grinding apparatus through a separator and, removing therefrom any moving from'the mixture any oversizeand foreign material unsuitable as'abrasive and liable to injure the glasa p p j 7, A process for use in connection iot;

oversize and foreign'material unsuitable as I abrasive and liable toinjure the glass.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto sub a":

scribedmy 'name this 2nd dayof February,

outlet leading from the lower portion of the tank for permitting the discharge to waste from the tank of someof the water therein 7 togetherwith said oversize material.

V a glass grinding apparatus requiring finely di'j vided abrasive and water, whichconsists in; a

grading the material in a.bodyofwaterby 

